DECEMBER 24 1925
IKe Royal &ero Clu
of the llixitecl Kii\gddi
OFFICIAL /SOTICES TO MEMBERS IE
COMMITTEE MEETING
A MEETING of the Committee was held on Wednesday
December 16, 1925, when there were present :—Lieut -Col'.
F. K. McClean, A.F.C., in the chair, Mr. Ernest C. Bucknall,
Ueut.-Col. M. O. Darby, Wing-Commander T. O'B. Hubbard,
M.C., A.F.C., Mr. F. Handley Page, CBE Mr T O M
Sopwith, C.B.E., and the Secretary!
Election of Members.—The following new Members wereelected :—
Major George Purvis Bulman.
Frank Albert Kappey.
Archibald George Hazell.
Francis Trounson Hearle.
Flying-Officer Francis Llewellyn Hudson.
Squadron-Leader Edward Radclyffe Pretyman.
Flying-Officer Geoffrey Charles Stemp.
L. N. Glaisby.
I. H. M. Brown.
J. de la Cierva.
Schneider Cup, 1926.—Correspondence between the Club
and the National Aeronautic Association of U.S.A. was sub-
mitted. The consideration of the regulations for the next
race was deferred pending the receipt of further information
from the National Aeronautic Association of U.S.A.
F.A.I. Conference, Paris.—Lieut.-Col. M. O'Gorman,
C.B., and H. E. Perrin were appointed to represent the Club
at the F.A.I. Conference, Paris, fm January 11, next.
Aviators' Certificates.—The following Aviators' Certi-
ficates were granted :—
7976. Robert Milton Stobie. November 23, 1925.
7977. Geoffrey Hilton Bowman. June 27, 1916.
Official Observers.—The following officials were appointed
to observe tests for Aviators' Certificates in the districts of
Manchester and Newcastle :—
Manchester: Mr. J. F. Leeming.
Newcastle : Major B. M. Dodds and Mr. A. E. George.
Aero Club of Belgium.—Mr. F. Handley Page was
appointed to represent the Royal Aero Club at the official
banquet of the Aero Club of Belgium to celebrate their
25th anniversary on January 9, 1926.
SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
A SPECIAL general meeting of the members of the Club was
held at the Club Premises, 3. Clifford Street, London, W. 1, on
Wednesday, December 16. 1925.
The Chairman (Lieut.-Col. F. K. McClean) and Mr. F.
Handley Page having explained the financial position, both
as regards the Club and its Special Racing Fund for the year
1926, the resolutions authorising the increase of subscription
were unanimously agreed to.
The subscriptions due on January 1. 192fi\ are now as
follows :—
£ s-
Ordinary Members . . . . . . . . 6 6
Service Members (R.A.F., R.A.F. Reserve
and Air Ministry) . . . . . . . . 3 3
d.
0
0
ROYAL AERO CLUB SPECIAL RACING FUND
IN response to the appeal issued by the Chairman (the Duke
of Sutherland), the following donations have been received :—
Ernest Pitman
Arthur E. Savill
Wing-Com. T. O'B. Hubbard
Sir Mortimer Singer . .
Lieut.-Col. F. K. McClean
Lieut.-Col. M. O. Darby
T. O. M. Sopwith
Sir Sefton Brancker
Oswald Short
Capt. C. B. Wilson
Harry Preston
Air-Commodore J. G. Weir
A. S. Butler
Lord Edward A. Grosvenor
1.
5
5
5
10
5
5
5
10
10
2
2
100
100
s.0
s(t
0
0
s5
0
0
2
2
0
0
d.
0
0
0
0
(1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2 0
Offices : THE ROYAL AERO CLUB,
3, CLIFFORD STREET, LONDON, W. 1.
H. E. PERRIN, Secretary
CIVIL AVIATION
Discussion at Royal Aero Club Second Monthly House Dinner
THE subject for debate at the second of the Royal Aero Club's ourselves
House Dinners last week was " Civil Aviation," the debate could be
being opened by Air Vice-Marshal Sir W. Sefton Brancker,
Director of Civil Aviation. His Grace the Duke of Suther-
land was in the Chair, and said he hoped that, in addition to
the well-known speakers who were taking part in the dis-
cussion, he hoped that " incognito " speakers, who often
had very valuable views, but who never got up to express
them, would make an exception and would take part m the
discussion that evening. He then called upon hir Sefton
Brancker to open the debate.
Sir Sefton Brancker said he was glad to say that the
Director of Civil Aviation was not present that evening.
He had left him at the Air Ministry, and proposed to speak
as a member of the Royal Aero Club. He proposed to divide
his subject into four sections-Commercial Aviation, Racing,
Serial Survey, and Private Flying.
On the first subject Sir Sefton did not tell his listeners
very much that was new. He gave a few — — •"«•*. «
that British air transport machines ha
at a cost of 600 000, which, he thought, was h.gher than the
British cost In America they were making it an education
of"he public, and there were now firms who ^untam^that
commercial aviation could be made to pay and A™»<£^
now calling for tenders for;»*«£«£; J^rthould have
Sonerbet>erebvS|£rti£S* tonger lines, rather than confine
such as
ourselves at first to the London-Paris, etc, route. There
no doubt that our air lines had raised British
prestige.
On the subject of racing Sir Sefton said he did not propose
to say much, except to point out that there had been a
lamentable lack of public-spirited support. In Germany
last year they got together from private subscribers no less
than £15,000 for their Rund/lug.
Concerning Aerial Surveying, Sir Sefton said this was a
branch in which Great Britain led the world, and was a branch
able to carry on without subsidies. The only branch able
to do so. It was absolutely beyond criticism.
Turning to the subject of the private owner, Sir Sefton
referred to an article which had appeared in a Sunday paper
recently by a distinguished member of Parliament, and
which he described as " a monument of inaccuracies." This
sort of thing did more harm than good. They should all
get together to see what could be done to help.
Lieut.-Col. Moore-Braba?on (" Ticket No. 1 ") found it
very remarkable that Sir Sefton could ^peak on civil avia-
tion three times a week and still be able to be interesting.
He himself, unfortunately, had come to be regarded in certain
circles as an " air expert," which was somewhat embarrassing
when the view came from people who regarded as an " ex-
pert " anyone capable of telling a monoplane from a biplane.
He did not think the man in the street realised the danger
of other means of transport, and he personally doubted if
road and rail transport were as safe as air transport. He
did not think that even if they got 100 per cent, reliability
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